Collectible
by Nova of Mink
Summary: SciFi/Romance - Relena is in danger and only love can save her. Some shounen-ai and mild sap.


**Collectible**   
By Nova 

Relena is calmly sitting at her desk studying one of many documents for her upcoming meeting. When the lights began to flicker and go out. Thick blackness that had nothing to do with lack of light surrounds her. It almost feels alive as if it were holding her. _What is going on? This is wrong. Something is very wrong._ This feeling of being held scares her and she feels an almost panicking need to escape this unnatural darkness. _I have to get out of here. I just need to reach the door someone is always nearby._

Quickly she rose and made her way around the desk, keeping one hand on the surface to guide her. Coming to the edge of the desk she let go and reaches for the chair she knows to be only three steps away. Her fear rises when her hand encounters nothing but air. The blackness seems to be thickening, making it hard to breathe. _Oh god, what is going on?_

Just when she thinks she is going to pass out, the darkness disappears. She opens her eyes, not having realized she closed them in the first place, and gazes around her. The room is small, maybe 20 X 20, gray with no visible doors. "Where am I? What is going on?" The sound of her own voice comforting her. 

"Allow me to answer that for you." 

Spinning around she sees a man standing behind her. He towers over her by at least a foot. He has long straight black hair that hangs loose around him. His eyes are completely black in an almost white face. He wears a black cloak that covers him from neck to foot. Fancifully she thinks Duo this is what death should look like. In any other instance she would have found him incredibly handsome, but the feeling of being trapped banishes all other emotions. "Who are you?" she asks, angered by the way her voice quakes. 

"It is unpronounceable in your language, but the closest translation is Collector." 

"Why am I here?" 

"I brought you here. You see I am a collector, a collector of extraordinary females." He reaches out and caresses the side of her face. Stepping back she quickly jerks away from his cold touch. He smiles slightly at her reaction, but lowers his hand as he continues,"I travel to different dimensions and times taking unique women to keep me company." With a wave of his hand the walls flicker and disappear. 

Relena takes in the scene around her with sick fascination and fear. The room is now huge and filled with glass cylinders. In each of these cylinders is a woman. Slowly Relena walks around looking at the captured women. Their expressions vary from fear, shock, and pain to rage, despair, and resignation. Terror runs with cold fingers down her spine. 

"Why me?" 

"As I was passing through this dimension your strong proud spirit called to me and I knew I had to possess it. As soon as you are properly faceted, you will make a beautiful addition to my prized collection." 

"Faceted?" 

"Yes, I must preserve you when you are caught up in extreme emotion. I have found that no one is more effected than when hope and love are crushed. To do this I will offer you one chance to be rescued." 

Just as he had said hope flickers in her heart. There is no doubt in her mind that if Heero knows she is in danger he will rescue her. 

"You choose the man or woman you love and I will perform a small test. If they prove that they love you in return, you are free to go. If not, you are mine," again he reaches toward her, but this time he touches her hair, "forever." 

Though her hope wavers, she still believes deep down that Heero will not fail her. 

"All you need to do is say his or her name and the test will begin." 

"Heero Yuy" 

Again he waves his hand and a large window, much like a theatre screen, appears. On it she sees Heero pick up a phone. 

"Hello." He says in his normal monotone. 

Relena hears her own voice come from the receiver. "Heero, I need to speak to you right away. It is important, could you come and see me in my office? I really must speak to you." 

"Be there in half an hour." 

"Oh, thank you. See you then." 

As he hangs up the phone Duo pops around the corner from his bedroom. "Hey man, who was that?" 

"Relena" 

"What did she want?" 

"I am going to meet with her." That said he heading for the door. 

"You have to give the girl 4 stars for persistence. Hey wait, I'll come with you!" 

"Hn"   
  
  


Hero is lured to the office to take the test and Duo comes inside with him. The Collector allows Duo to remain since the only emotion he generates from Relena is annoyance. 

Trembling with fear and hope Relena watches herself confront Heero and Duo. 

Standing in front of her desk in her office she tells them she is going to be married to General Meralis. They both know this man to be verbally abusive and of bad character. "It is going to be a marriage of convenience. I do not love him. My counselors are pressing me to marry and," she gives a self-depreciating laugh. "I have just given up on the thought of finding love. I don't think it exists any more. At least not in our war torn world." Her jaw firms and she lifts her chin. "Living for peace will just have to be enough, it would be selfish to ask for more." 

She looks into Heero's eyes and says, "But I would defy everyone if I knew there was a man out there who would love me." When this announcement brings no reaction from the silent Yuy, she gives a wobbly smile and nods in defeat. "As you most likely know. General Meralis has no love for gundam pilots so we will not be seeing each other again. Goodbye Heero. Duo." Then with tears in her eyes she leaves walking slowly away. 

When Heero fails to run after her and profess his love Relena immediate blames Duo's presence. Unwilling to admit to herself that Heero does not and will not love her. But Relena is thrown into confusion when Duo passes the test. 

Duo grabs Heero's arm in a hard grip. "What are you standing here for? Go after her. Tell her you care. You can't just let her go like that. Deep down, I know, you love her." 

Heero looks at Duo with cold eyes "No, I don't." _How could I? When you are the one who haunts my dreams. You're the one who is always by my side bringing light and laughter into my life. How could I care for a girl who keeps getting in my way? When you are the one I can trust and depend on._ None of these thoughts show on his face. 

"Great, NOW you tell me." Leaving Heero behind he dashes after her. "RELENA! RELENA Wait!" 

Turning she looks at him with at small frown. "Yes?" 

"You can't marry that General." Reaching out he clasps her hands in his own. _Man, I have fought 100s of battles, come so close to dying so many times, and I have never known this kind of fear_. "I know I am not the one you wanted," summoning up the courage and determination that has allowed him to survive this war. He continues, "but I care for you. If you would give me the chance, I would like to take Heero's place in your heart." 

"Duo?" 

Releasing her hands, he gently cups her face in his palms and softly kisses her lips. He puts his heart and soul into that kiss. Letting her know without words how much she means to him. When he pulls back he sees her eyes full of mixed emotions and shining with unshed tears. His heart wrenches at the sight of those tears. He knows she doesn't want him, but just couldn't let her go without trying. 

He begins to pull back, defeated by those tears, when she flings her arms around his neck and cries into his shoulder. 

"You saved me! Oh god, Duo. You saved me." 

He wraps his arms around her and holds her tight, reveling in hopes and dreams that he had thought impossible. 

Silently Heero watches the scene from the office doorway. Without a word he turns and leaves. _At least one of our dreams came true. Be happy Duo, be happy._

******************************************************************************************* 

So? What did you think? Please give me your opinion. [Sailornova@excite.com][1]

Anyone like to do fanart? I would love to see anything inspired by this story. 

Disclaimer: As you probably already know, I do not own any rights to Gundam Wing or its characters. This was done in good fun with no intention of profit of any kind. The collector is my own invention, but if you would like to use him go ahead, but I request you send me a copy of what you write for my own collection. 

   [1]: mailto:Sailornova@excite.com



End file.
